Fresh Tart

So Crazy, It Must Be Summer

FreshTartSteph — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:32:05 PDT

Hello friends! Yes, I'm still here, still cooking, despite falling way behind on taking pics and posting. Like everyone, we are in full summer mode and that has meant non-stop entertaining and dining out, whew. Funny thing, you'd think that since I step up my cooking game for guests that I'd have more to write about, but lately it just hasn't panned (pun!) out.

Whirlwind overview of recent tasties, I hope it inspires a fun night out or some barbecue fun at home:

Last Thursday night, John and I broke out of our usual groove and headed over to Bradstreet Craftshouse, in the Graves 601 Hotel, for the finest drinks in the Twin Cities. We had some nice food too - mini burgers, marinated vegetables - but Bradstreet is all about the drinks, highly crafted and beyond delicious. I particularly loved the Juliet & Romeo (Plymouth gin, lime, mint, cucumber, rose water), refreshing with just a hint of sweet, perfect on a 90-degree day, ahhhh.

Last Friday night, we were invited to a Farewell to D'Amico Cucina (at least in Butler Square) Dinner with Debbie and Stu The Wine Genius Williams and Genie & Joe Dixon (as well as Genie & Joe's daughter-in-law and son, Twyla and Joe Jr.). Lord what a feast, completely immoderate, ah well. I (over) indulged in seared foie gras with fresh figs (badly pictured above) and the most seriously kill single ravioli I have ever encountered. Filled with smooth-creamy ricotta, and a whole egg, I cut into it to spill cheese and yolk into the browned truffle butter drizzled at the edges of the plate. Oh yes, beyond decadent, luckily small portions, I won't say more, uff, except it appears the D'Amico Cucina team will soon be taking over the Chambers Kitchen. When one door closes, another opens...

Saturday, we...golfed. Yes, golfed! I just started playing, oh about a month ago, John doesn't play at all, but we golfed anyhow, with our kindly neighbors Kasey & Dan Hatzung, in our neighborhood's "Better Half Invitational," hosted by Ellen & John Skahan and Lindsay & Dave Polyak. Such fun, such non-serious golf, we had a complete blast, topped off by a lovely party at the Polyak residence. I brought an appetizer - a thin-crust "pizza," lightly topped with pancetta, caramelized onions, tomatoes, and fontina cheese and served at room temp - and enjoyed the buffet of gorgeous appetizers brought by all the golfers. Yum, I do love myself a pot-luck buffet...almost as much as my husband does...

Monday night we hosted my cousin Peter, his wife Kristin, and their adorable - adorable! - twin three-year-old daughters Emily and Erin. Stacey and Cooper were here too, to dig in to garlicky pork tenderloin, tsatsiki (yogurt sauce with cucumber, garlic, and dill), grilled pita bread, a giant Greek salad, and Suz's to-die-for blueberry kuchen for dessert (she served it to me on Friday Afternoon Coffee with Suz. I crave it - bonus, it's a breeze to make...).

Tuesday night, Kim The Maven of Mischief and I snuck out to Barrio Tequila Bar for mid-week tasty drinks and Mexican snacks. Crab empanadas, potato-chorizo tacos, and shrimps grilled on sugar-cane skewers didn't put a dent in their fine menu, but put us in a fine mood nonetheless, completely making up for the fact that I didn't make a res (which the annoying hostess gravely told me was a BIG mistake - ugh).

Tonight, no entertaining, but a recipe I'll (re)post, in case you're looking for a tasty appetizer for weekend entertaining. Crab cakes, baby, this version from our friend Carol Mack via Andrew Zimmern, is a stellar recipe. The focus is the crab (not breading), tender in the middle, crispy on the exterior, not too thick, not too thin. Basically, Perfect Crab Cakes. For a twist, tonight I stuffed them in toasted buns (moderate it: cut the middle out of the bun to make it much thinner, spritz with nonstick olive oil spray, then toast) and giggled that we were having Krabby Patties for din. Sauteed kale - fresh from my veggie share, likely picked this morning - alongside, a nice foil for the richness of the sandwich.

And this weekend, ah yes, another party, woo hoo! I'm counting 15 of us at this point, including my bro David, for a big ol' 4th of July Barbecue. I'm planning pork ribs, mini-burgers (with home-made mini-buns, I'll let you know how they turn out...), broccoli salad, garbanzo bean salad, potato chips (Cape Cod 40% reduced fat kettle-cooked chips are seriously yummy), and bing cherries, along with snacks by the pool (guacamole, raw veggies, and tortilla chips), along with dessert (compliments of Suz), along with cold beer and wine, along with fireworks on the golf course... Ooh, aah, one of my fave holidays.

Happy Independence Day!

Burgers, Burgers Everywhere

FreshTartSteph — Fri, 08 May 2009 07:15:50 PDT

You can tell we're heading into summer by the number of burger posts around the web. The goods (don't worry, not all of them are decadent!)...

President Obama and Vice President Biden stopped for lunch at Ray's Hell Burger in DC this week. Check out this fun blogpost reviewing the place - which sounds fantastic - before it's big day in the spotlight (thanks to my aunt Kathy for providing the link). Even if you don't have a trip to DC planned anytime soon, you'll find lots of inspiration for jazzing up your own backyard creations.

The New York Times Dining & Wine section includes a feature on the Burger of the Month Club, a group that meets the first Monday of each month at a new NYC burger joint. Their (delicious looking, wow) Top Ten are here. They post all of their reviews on their blog.

The current issue of Clean Eating Magazine includes a recipe for "turkey slider" appetizers - mini turkey burgers topped with tomato and onion. I think they'd make a great starter for a light, summery dinner party.

Looking for tasty ways to use my new canned salmon, I found this recipe for Lemon Salmon Burgers. I haven't tried it yet, but plan to soon - I have had great success trying well-reviewed recipes on allrecipes.com.

I love veggie burgers every bit as much (if not more than) hamburgers. (In the name of moderation, hamburgers are an occasional treat, while veggie burgers see a lot of action 'round these parts.) The Morningstar Farms Garden Veggie burger (pictured above) is delicious - loaded with mushrooms, nuts, and whole grains, it's hard to beat topped with pickles, mustard, onion, maybe a slice or two of avocado. Their Spicy Black Bean burger is fantastic too. Both work well on the grill. Another favorite is Amy's Organics California Veggie Burger - topped with a slice of lowfat mozzarella cheese, it's The Kill. All versions are good sources of protein, fiber, and monounsaturated fat, for around 100 calories.

Don't even get me started on the deliciousness of a grilled portabella mushroom-as-a-burger (pictured below), brushed (or spritzed) with a bit of olive oil, sprinkled with seasoned salt, grilled until soft, and topped with a piece of melty lowfat mozzarella... You get the whole burger-y gestalt, for less than 300 (very tasty) calories. Nice.

My own favorite local restaurant burgers? Love (love!) the genius mini-lamb burgers in the bar at La Belle Vie. Ditto the mini-burgers at Bar Lurcat. Ditto again (redundant?) the mini-burgers at Bacio (Zelo, Ciao Bella). The regular-sized burgers there are fantastic too. I'm a nostalgic sucker for diner-style burgers, so Lion's Tap has a warm place in my heart, as did my beloved Wagner's Drive-Inn (RIP, sniff). I've eaten the black-bean burger at McCoy's so many times they damn near start one up when I walk in the door.

And for what I consider the definitive word on the best local burgers, Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl's list for Minnesota Monthly is not only spot-on, it's a great (funny, mouth-watering) read.

Happy Burger Weekend! Happy Birthday Stacey!

FreshTartSteph — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 08:07:00 PDT

Happy 4th of July! Ready for some fun in the sun? Or a quiet, relaxing day? I have to say, one of the best 4ths I've ever had was a few years back when John and I went on a long bike ride followed by a picnic of fried chicken, fresh cherries, cheeses, and white wine. The. Kill.

But of course I like a good party too (who me?), so today we're on for our Annual Super Duper Shubert Coopster 4th of July Celebration, having Shuberts and Stace& Coop (obv!), as well as Harry Cunliffe, Debbie & Stu The Wine Genius Williams, and Debbie's sister Michelle over to swim, dine a la potluck, and see fireworks. I'm grilling burgers& ribs, and making new potato & green bean salad and some simple veggies& dip. With tasty appetizers, salad, and dessert contributed by the group...KA-BLAM we're going to have a meal! Yeah, baby!

Moderate it: I'll personally make a lameass attempt to fill up on salads and veggies and enjoy the whole burger-rib-beer-chip-dessert thing in moderation. Hope you fare better in your moderation efforts than I'm about to! Enjoy your holiday!

FreshTartSteph — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 08:46:00 PDT

Now we're talking, now it feels like summer. The catmint in our yard is in riotous, excessive bloom, a purple explosion ironically contained in tidy, linear beds. Virtually alive with honey bees, the effect is stunning as I sit here on the deck, in my robe, with a cup of coffee, on a sunny-cool Sunday morning. (If any of my neighbors can see me, good morning to you.)

Yeah, it's nice to be home, even from Italy. Bzzzz...

We embraced our return to the states with a late afternoon Little League baseball game followed by burgers on the grill. Hot juicy damn that burger tasted good! Just...yum. I topped mine with nothing more than sauteed mushrooms, but John and Nathan went the distance. In a nod to all the simple, beautifully prepared food we had in Italy (sigh), I made up a little warm potato dish - halved new potatoes tossed with (La Finca veggie share!) arugula, capers, sliced roasted red peppers, garlic, olive oil, and red wine vinegar. The heat of the potatoes wilted the arugula and brought out the salty goodness of the capers and peppers. Nice alongside a burger or chicken or fish or even on its own. (Recipe posted in comments, below.)

Today we're on for more baseball and grillin', baby! Along with the arugula, my veggie share included bok choy. A quick saute with lots of garlic, minced jalapenos, and a splash of soy sauce should add crunchy-salty-heat to the shrimp and steaks I'm going to grill (yep, double-beef, bit of a planning goof, but I doubt anyone will complain...). Maybe I can convince Stacey, Cooper Cuteness, and Levi Sizzle to join us...

Happy Sunny Sunday!

Moderate it: ah hamburgers, so good, so potentially not-moderate. I've never been a thick burger girl, so I either cook a small one for myself, or cut a large one in half, then in half again lengthwise, and voila, a thinner burger. I eat mine open-faced, topped with veggies (raw onions, sauteed mushrooms, tomato in season - you know the yummy drill), alongside a salad, and it's all good.

FreshTartSteph — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 09:43:00 PST

Brrrgrrr, rarrr! I made hamburgers last night and oh my, I haven't had one in so long, it tasted incredible. I didn't actually grill 'em, but still, the homemade version is just "summer" to me, it was really fun. I did a quick saute of mushrooms and spinach to have alongside - or on top! - and the whole thing was just ridiculously yummy. For your perfect burger:

1. Buy best-quality ground beef, not too lean. (Then, skip the cheese. If you have enough fat in the meat, the cheese just makes it over-the-top, IMHO; if you disagree, absolutely go for cheese! As the pic demonstrates, it looks pretty damn good!)
2. Gently work some salt and pepper throughout the meat before you form the patties.
3. Gently form the patties (if you pack 'em, you puck 'em), until they just hold together.
4. Press the center to make it a bit thinner than the rest of the burger (the sides seize up as the burger cooks, making the middle thicker, and making the burger harder to cook evenly).

Grill 'em, fry 'em, broil 'em. I always cook Nathan's until well done (at least 160 degrees), but John and I prefer just a hint of pink.

As much as I'd LOVE to put down a batch of crispy frites to go with the perfect, juicy burger - the rules of moderation require a big salad or other veggies alongside instead. Sniff. Nah, just kidding, the above mentioned spinach-mushroom saute was delicious. And a crisp salad can definitely be a nice foil for all that richness, something tangy especially. Tomatoes, scallions, radishes. Load it on the burger, eat alongside as well - NICE!

FreshTartSteph — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 08:19:00 PDT

Hello? Moderation? Anywhere? Anywhere?

After a lovely date-night feast (such as at Mission on Tuesday night), I would normally shoot for a much lighter day the next day(s). With lots of exercise. You know, to balance it all out. Moderate a bit? Ha. So I took off yesterday morning for a brisk (and insanely, miserably hot) walk/run. Off to a good start, even though I felt like I'd been hit by a truck. For lunch, one of my beloved black bean burgers, in one of my beloved French Meadow sprouted grain tortillas, with peppers, avocado, arugula, and salsa. Sublime. Healthy. All good.

And then...a very snacky afternoon (which happens once in awhile and I usually just go with it; I figure if I'm really listening, and eating from true hunger, my body knows better than I do when it needs some extra fuel). Followed by a thunderstorm and power outage, which fizzled our healthy dinner plans and sent us scurrying out the door for lights-out treats at Bacio. Despite all their lovely salad options (that place knows how to make a salad), I was truly starving for major, beefy protein, so I had...a brrrgrrr. Not just any burger, but the (whisper) Bacio Burger (I didn't read the menu carefully and thought I was getting a plain burger with the usual sides - lettuce, tomato, raw onion, pickles, etc...uh, nooo). Topped with some amazing creamy sauce, and cheese, and sauteed onions, and tomato, on a toasted bun no less - could you find more ways to add fat to a burger? - it was one of the most decadent, delicious burgers I've ever had. Dang, it was that good. Naughty, killer good. Ouch! The whole experience totally wiped me out and I was asleep by 9:30 last night, sensory overload, bam.

So today, let's start again. A day full of lovely vegetables and fruits is in order, with a long bike ride, and lots of water. Basically an Un-Bacio-Burger Day. Enjoy yours!

FreshTartSteph — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 22:51:00 PDT

A quick post here since for some strange reason, I'm pretty tired tonight, even after a nicely moderate, party-free day. It's in honor of moderation, in fact, that I thought I'd share an interesting observation. I had two burgers today, one for lunch, one for dinner. Doesn't sound moderate, I know, but stay with me. The lunch version was a black-bean burger (Morningstar Farms), on a toasted Lite Thomas whole-grain English muffin (I love English muffins, and this version packs 8 grams of fiber and only 100 cals each), with a few avocado slices and a dab of salsa piled on as well. It was...incredible.

The second burger, for dinner, was the real deal: 90% lean ground beef, grilled, on a sesame seed bun, with tomato, lettuce, and pickles. I made it quite small to keep it somewhat healthful, and loaded up on the veggies. It was also delicious, but you know what? And here's the observation: the black bean burger was BETTER! I mean, I know that I love black bean burgers, but nothing beats a great hamburger, so I'm a bit surprised. But hey, I've never tasted the two (sort of) against each other, after a full week of rich holiday tasties (including hamburgers on the 4th). I guess my bod was ready for something, uh, lighter. More moderate. No! Plus, crazy as this will sound to you burger lovers out there - the spicy-salty-creamy-chewy thing the black bean version had going on pushed more flavor buttons than the beefy version. (Not that I'm giving up hamburgers anytime soon, mind you - even after watching Fast Food Nation - oh no.) I really like knowing that a meatless, much lower-calorie, high-fiber version satisfies me just as well as the beloved calorie-bomb version. Yeah, it's good to know.

So that's it. Not that fascinating, sorry. I'm weird, I know, that little moments of naturally-occurring moderation really jazz me, but I can't help it. My quest lives on...

FreshTartSteph — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 12:01:00 PDT

Happy 4th of July!

Looks to be a lovely day for barbecuing and hanging by the pool - good thing that's our plan! Stacey and Cooper, and Suz, Cory, Vivian, and Sullivan are all coming later this afternoon for some food and fun before we head out on the golf course for fireworks. We didn't know there were fireworks right here in the 'hood the first summer we lived here, but we figured it out pretty fast as we were driving by the entire neighborhood walking toward our house! It's so sweet - no parking, no traffic, just a bag of chips, a cold beer, some bug spray, a chair, and we're out the door, yeeaah.

Simple food today - guaaaahcamole with chips and raw veggies (a nod to moderation; there, I'm done) at the pool; Suz's deviled eggs (she's the deviled egg queen, yum); grilled burgers and dogs with all the fixin's (including a little guac that I set aside, there's is nothing like guac on a burger, The Kill...); a big salad with grilled tomatoes and onions; and Suz's blueberry kuchen for dessert. How fabulously, patriotically red (tomatoes), white (eggs), and blue (kuchen), eh? Hope you have plans for a tasty, Festive 4th as well!

FreshTartSteph — Tue, 22 May 2007 21:19:00 PDT

Friday Morning Coffee with Suz! On Tuesday! We're not hitting many Fridays lately, nor much coffee for that matter, dang. Hate when life gets in the way of my good times! But hey, we slid in a round of coffee and chat this morning and it was great, as always.

Baseball tonight so I grilled early (really early!) burgers. Hard to keep a hamburger relatively light, but I did my best by 1) buying extra-lean ground beef, 2) making myself a damn small burger, 3) eating it on only half a bun, and 4) topping it off with loads of yummy veggies - pickles, little avocado, tomato, sweet onion, and arugula. Killer, I must say. Filling too! Hey, a Salad Burger! Oooh, I like that name! Salad Burgers RAWK!

I started the long process of planting pots of annuals and herbs today. Takes me several trips to the nursery, but that's OK. I love it, love picking out the plants, love digging around in the dirt, love how it looks when I'm done. And with herbs, lettuces, and tomatoes, love to eat the harvest! Soon enough, soon enough...